It would be a formidable challenge to foresee the trajectory of "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" merely from its opening sequences, which bear a whimsical resemblance to a Star Trek adaptation of Richard Scarry’s beloved children’s tome, What Do People Do All Day? By the episode’s climax, we have witnessed a mesmerizing tapestry of time travel, nascent romantic entanglements (though swiftly nipped in the bud), and a twist on a timeless moral quandary. Initially, however, the narrative offers a fascinating glimpse into La’an Noonien-Singh's quotidian responsibilities as Chief of Security, a role far from mundane.
La’an grapples with squabbling officers, addresses a noise complaint lodged against Spock, and pays a visit to Pelia’s quarters, revealing a peculiar penchant for acquiring invaluable artifacts for her personal trove, including a Louvre-sought painting she claims is a forgery. (How did no one notice her amassing such treasures aboard?) This humorous aside in Pelia’s quarters proves to be a pivotal, albeit temporal, foreshadowing. Equally crucial is the impression conveyed by these scenes: La’an is adept at her job yet burdened with stress. Dr. M’Benga alludes to this during their sparring, but self-care takes a backseat when La’an encounters a stranger, clad in 21st-century attire, gravely wounded by a bullet in the hallway—a rare occurrence even aboard the Enterprise.
What ensues is no less extraordinary: as the dying stranger hands La’an an unusual device, urging her to “get to the bridge,” she obeys what she perceives as his dying wish, only to find the Enterprise helmed by Captain James T. Kirk (played by Paul Wesley)? Clearly, something is amiss, and the credits reveal just how skewed reality has become. Kirk encounters Spock, here a Vulcan captain desperately seeking Earth’s aid against the Romulans, to no avail. Ortegas and Uhura are present yet unrecognizable to their friend. La’an swiftly deduces she has been transported to an alternate timeline, hers erased by an event she must now thwart. To his credit, Kirk considers her theory plausible (though he doesn't entirely discount the possibility of her madness). When La’an presses the device’s button, theory translates into reality, instantaneously transporting her and Kirk to 21st-century Toronto.
Episodes that revisit the present-day (or a similar era) for Star Trek characters are not only a cherished tradition but also a financially prudent choice. Strange New Worlds crafts an entertaining twist on this tried-and-true formula. Kirk has never set foot on Earth in his timeline, where conditions are far from desirable, making his journey there more than just a temporal adventure. Yet, he proves adept at shoplifting, thanks to La’an’s cunning trick, and excels at the "antiquated, two-dimensional" game of chess. These talents allow them to scrape together enough cash for sustenance in the form of hot dogs and a cozy hotel room, essential for rest and recuperation amidst their pressing mission.
In the confines of their temporary abode, it dawns on both of them that the sparkling tension between them since their first encounter might transcend mere flirtation. However, such musings must be shelved momentarily, for they have a timeline to rescue. Kirk soon realizes that preserving this timeline would necessitate erasing his known reality. La’an, ever pragmatic, argues succinctly that his current timeline leaves much to be desired, reminding him that he is an explorer at heart, not a soldier. The prospect of finding his brother Sam still alive in La’an’s timeline nearly sways him. Just then, the newly constructed bridge visible from their window explodes, crystallizing the urgency of their mission with startling clarity. So, that was what “Get to the bridge” truly implied!
Yet, their task was not to save the bridge, doomed to destruction in both timelines. What, then, was their true objective? Clues emerge from photographs taken by a photographer on the scene, later identified as Vanessa (Adelaide Kane). The distinctive scorch marks visible in the photos catch La’an’s eye, a signature of the future she recognizes. Kirk’s array of skills, including mastery of the Vulcan nerve pinch and competent driving abilities enabling them to tail the van transporting the bridge debris, further impresses La’an. To her astonishment, she learns that Kirk is unfamiliar with her infamous surname. Regardless of the future’s deviations, Khan’s fate is undoubtedly altered.
Stopped by the Toronto police while still in hot pursuit, Kirk and La’an narrowly escape arrest when Vanessa arrives to film the incident, threatening a scandal that sends the officers scurrying. This intervention earns Vanessa their trust, as she too displays a keen interest in the van’s contents and harbors thoughts on interfering aliens, international conspiracies, and other conspiracy theory staples. When Kirk mentions that his “wife” was once abducted by aliens, an alliance is forged – or so Kirk and La’an believe.
La’an hints that their newcomer friend might be "unbalanced," yet her revelation of what seems to be an authentic photograph of an alien spacecraft, one that Kirk promptly identifies as Romulan, sets the stage for their breakthrough. It is this particular intricacy that unlocks the mystery of what adjustments they must undertake. According to Kirk's timeline, the Romulans obliterate an experimental cold fusion reactor, leading to the devastation of Toronto. Conversely, in La’an's timeline, this catastrophe never unfolds. It's time to safeguard the reactor! But before they can embark on this mission, they require a tricorder, a futuristic gadget that necessitates the expertise of an engineer. Luckily, La’an recollects that Pelia, a talented engineer, once resided in Vermont. However, there's a twist: In the 21st century, Pelia isn't an engineer just yet; instead, she operates a (rather questionable) antique shop.
Over refreshing beers, they devise a scheme to fashion a makeshift tricorder, or at the very least, a gizmo capable of tracking down a concealed reactor, using nothing more than an '80s watch as the foundation. This endeavor leads them on a romantic nocturnal stroll through Toronto's streets, where Kirk confesses his unwavering commitment to preserving La’an's timeline, even if it means sacrificing his own. La’an teases the possibility of him joining her in her time, and both acknowledge their burgeoning affections, sealing the moment with a passionate kiss. But just as the watch starts to glow, their tender embrace is abruptly interrupted.
Putting their duties ahead of their desires, they sneak into the reactor's building, only to stumble upon the headquarters of the Noonien-Singh Institute. Before they can venture inside, they're confronted by Veronica, who reveals herself not as a paranoid conspiracy theorist but as a Romulan from the future, tasked with thwarting their timeline-altering plans. She means business, and when Kirk dares "Veronica" to call his bluff by suggesting she'd alert security and ruin her mission by shooting them, she takes him at his word, discharging her weapon and mortally wounding him in the chest.
Kirk's sincerity was undeniable. Veronica's assault triggered the security alert, yet she remained steadfast, unwavering as she compelled La'an at gunpoint to assist her in reaching the building's genetics lab, where the youthful Khan Noonien-Singh resided. An astonishing revelation awaited: terminating Khan would inadvertently thwart the Federation's inception, tilting the future balance heavily in favor of the Romulans. Veronica seduced La'an with the allure of eradicating the forebear whose infamous legacy had cast a dark shadow over her entire existence, but La'an remained resolute, refusing the temptation.
Their confrontation ensued, with La'an emerging victorious, thereby safeguarding the future. Nevertheless, the allure of visiting young Khan proved irresistible to La'an. However, as if posed with the timeless hypothetical dilemma, "Would you slay baby Hitler?" she never entertained the notion, reassuring the恐惧的 future despot, "You are precisely where destiny has placed you." With a hint of melancholy, she transported herself back to the Enterprise, which had now reverted to her familiar vessel — where Pelia still insisted on her rightful claim to her treasure trove.
In her quarters, Agent Ymalay (Allison Wilson-Forbes) from the Department of Temporal Investigations paid her a visit. ("You're unaware of us because we don't officially exist in your time.") Ymalay swore La'an to secrecy, retrieved her device, and vanished, leaving a rattled La'an behind, still adorned with her vintage '80s watch. This encounter spurred her to reach out to Kirk, using the pretext of needing to ascertain Sam's birthplace. Following a brief exchange, La'an's emotional dam burst. Despite the surreal nature of her experience, it had left an indelible mark.
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" stands as another stellar installment in an already exceptional season, seamlessly blending a clever time-travel narrative with humorous fish-out-of-water moments. It shone the spotlight on La'an, offering her a pivotal episode, and hinted at a potential romance that could parallel Spock and Nurse Chapel's blossoming relationship (barring its confinement to this episode alone).
Christina Chong rose to the challenge with flying colors. La'an, typically all business, emerged from the episode as a far more multifaceted character than previously perceived. She was ably matched by Wesley, whose portrayal of Kirk garnered more screen time than ever. His comic timing was impeccable without diluting Kirk's inherent gravitas. Though his interpretation sometimes diverged from the Kirk we first encountered in the original series, he embodied Captain Kirk to the core. Will we witness more of him? And of La'an? The episode left those questions hanging in the air, tantalizingly unresolved.
